Insulating building material and method of making the same



De@ 3BE, E929., A. ELMENDORF.; 33774397@ INSULATING BUILDING MATERIAL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE4 SAME Original Filed May 5l, 1927 .Iii

Patent-ed Dee. 31,1929

UNITED vSTATES VPnxrlalar OFFICE ARLIIN IiMENDORF, F CHICAGO, ILLIITOIS INSULATING BUILDING MATERIAL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME K y Application filed May 31, 1927, Serial No. 195,265.' Renewed May 31, 1929.

The present invention has for itsobject to produce a novel building material that may be produced at comparatively low cost, be very effective as an insulation against heat and cold, which may be sawed in the same way as lumber, which will be weatherproof so that it will not be injured by exposure to the weather pending the placing of the same in a Wall or other structure, which 10 will not expand or contract upon changes in its moisture content or in the moisture in th surrounding atmosphere.

A further object of the present invention is to produce anovel and comparatively inexpensive block possessing heat insulating properties to a high degree, and having the qualities or characteristics required for an eficient roof foundation.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the f claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a finished block made in accordance with my' invention;

Fig. 2is a perspective view of the block, ou

an enlarged scale, portions being broken away to illustrate the manner of building up the block; Fig. 3 is a transverse section through a modified form of block; and Fig. 4

' is a transverse section through a still further modified form of block, only a fragment of the block being shown.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of fibrous vegetable matter, preferably stems,

consisting of an outer skin or shell filled with 40 pith. I believe corn stalks will be used most largely Afor the manufacture of my improved blocks. Therefore, since my invention can be fullyv explained in connection with the manufacture of blocks from corn stalks, for

the sake of brevity Iv refer to thebase or body material as corn stalks, although other fibrous vegetable material having the required properties may be employed. v Y

In the manufacture of the blocks, the corn 5 stalks,'placed side by side,.are pressed into a compact mass which is then sawed into sections or planes at right angles tothe length of the stalks. A binder or bond-ing material,l preferably of gypsum or magnesite, is applied to the sawed faces, the binder being then covered with paper or the like, preferably Waterproofed paper. The paper is preferably applied While the binder is still plastic. Upon the setting of the binder, the pieces of corn stalk will be held under compression. At this stage of the operation the blocks or slabs may be ofiinished size or shape or they may be of approximately the finished width but longer than an individual lblock is to be, depending on the process of manufacture. If the process of manufacture be such that slabs longer than a single block are produced, the slabs are sawed into the de- ,sired lengths, producino' two sawed edges,

and then the other two edges may be trimmed if desired, to make them flat. After the edges have been trimmed they present faces that to the eye appear tovbe composed entirely of l pith, since the trimming cuts are made lengthwise of the stalks and thus divide the skins or shells of the stalks lengthwise. The edges Whether ltrimmed or not, are then covered and the individual blocks are ready for use.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, A represents a finished block or slab. The core l of the block or slab comprises the stalks or stems arranged side by side, approximately parallel with each other, and compressed into a compact mass, as shown in 85,V Fig. 2. 2 and 3 represent the topand bottom layers of binding material, in this case of cementgwhile 4 and 5 are the paper coverings. The edges of the vblock are coated with cement, as indicated at 6, and the cement is in turn covered with the waterproof paper 7 or other suitable material.

The blocks may be made of the same thickness as the depth of the studding employed in the construction of buildings, so that they J may be fitted in between consecutive studding elements and form with the lattera solid wall of uniform thickness; or the blocks may be made thinner if desired. The blocks may be sawed to fit spaces that are to receive them. l'-

blocks have been built into a structure, there is no danger that openings Will be produced between the studding and adjacent blocks, due to shrinkage of a block.

Another valuable characteristic of my improved block is its ability to localize moisture that may perhaps enter the same through a damaged sheathing. The skins or shells of the stalks are Waterproof, so that if Water leaks into the core it Will be confined within those tubular skins into which it originally enters, and cannot spread. Furthermore if an e'ntire block should be Wet, the sheathin gs on adjacent blocks will protect the latter against the entry into Ythe same of moisture from the Wet block.

My improved blocks may be used for making roofs, taking the lace of Wooden sheathing; the blocks, preferably in the form of slabs, being simply placed on Wooden beams spaced at the proper distances apart.

In order to give the blocks greater mechanical strength, that will permit them to carry a load when used in roofs, the bottom layer 8 of cement, as best shown in Ifig. 3, may contain metal reinforcing, conveniently in the form of Wire mesh 9. The top and bottom faces of the roof slabs or blocks may be covered with Waterproof paper 4 and 5. In stead of employing paper that has been saturated vvith asphalt or other Waterproofing material, two-ply paper with a layer of asphalt or Waterproofing material between the same may be employed.

The edges of blocks or slabs of this type may first be coated with asphalt, as indicated at 10, emulsified asphalt being preferably employed. A layer l1 of cement is then applied over the asphalt; the cement being preferably gypsum or magnesite in the form of a wet paste. In fact, I prefer to use a gypsum paste containing Wood fibre.

These roof slabs may be laid side by side, with the reinforced faces down, and a protective covering placed over the same. Such covering may consist of a thin layer of asphalt overlaid with any desired number of sheets of roofing felt.

Each corn stalk sectionv in a block or slab constitutes a column possessing considerable compressive strength. Therefore, When the blocks or slabs are used as roof foundations,

they are sufficiently strong to carry the usual roof loads and traffic.

Instead of cement as a binder, I may use a hard asphalt as shown in Fig. 4. Referring to Fig. 4, the core 1 is coated on the top and bottomA faces with asphalt as indicated at 12, the asphalt being covered with paper 13. The edges of the block may be coated with asphalt 14, dusted with talc or the like.

vWhile I have illustrated and described With particularity only a single preferred form of block, with a few slight modifications, I do not desire to be limited to the specific details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and processes coming Within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. rlhe method of making a building block, comprising the compacting of a mass of fibrous material in which the fibres are parallel, cutting the mass into slabs along planes transverse to the fibres, and applying a binder to thc faces 'thus formed. i

2. The method of making a building block of corn stalks, comprising the compacting of a mass of corn stalks arranged parallel 'with each other, severing the mass into slabs along planes transverse to the lengthof the stalks,

and covering the faces thus formed with a binder.

2l. rlhe method of making a building block, which consists in compacting a mass of fibrous material in `which the fibres are parallel, cutting the mass into slabs along planes transverse to the libres, applying a binder 'to the faces thus formed, cutting the slabs into blocks, and coveringthe blocks with a Water proof sheathing.

4. The method of making a building block, which consists in compacting a mass of parallel vegetable stems, cutting the mass inte slabs along planes at right angles to such stems, applying cement to the faces thus formed, dividing the slabs into blocks of the desired size, and sheathing the blocks with a Waterproof material.

5. The method of making a building block, which `v,consists in compacting a mass of fibrous material in which the fibres are parallel with each other, cutting the mass along planes transverse to the fibres into slabs, ap-

plying cement to the faces thus formed, covering the cement with a Waterproof material, and cutting the slab into blocks and trimming the edges of the blocks.

6. The method of making a building block, which consists in the compacting of a mass of fibrous material arranged parallel Y with each other, forming blocks by .cutting the mass into sections having faces lying in planes transverse to the fibres, and encasing said blocks in a Waterproof sheathing.

7 The method of making a building block, which* comprises the compacting of a mass of lill@ ibrous material in which the fibres are paral-` ibrousl material arranged parallel with each other, forming blocks by cutting the mass into sections having faces lying in planes transverse to the fibres, and bonding the ends of the fibres lying in said faces, a

8. The method of making a building bloc which consists in compacting a mass of lel With each other, cutting the mass yalong' planes transverse to the fibres into slabs, ap-

plying cement to the faces thus formed, cover` ing the cement with a waterproof material, cutting the slab into blocks and trimming the edges ofthe blocks, and sheathing the edges of the blocks with a Waterproof material.

9. A building block comprising acompacted. fibrous mass having the fibres arranged parallel With each other, bonding means for the fibres covering the faces containing the ends of the libres, and a paper covering over the Whole. l

10. A buildingl block comprisin 'a compacted brous mass having the bres. arranged parallel vvith each other and cut olf at the ends to form flat faces on the block, and

a cement covering for'the faces containing the ends of thebres.

11. A building block comprism pacted fibrous mass having the bres arranged parallel With each other and out oi at the' ends to form dat faces on the block, bonding coverings for the faces containing the ends of the fibres, and reinforcing tension members embedded in one of said coverings.

12. A building flat relatively thin block comprising a compacted mass of bres arranged at right angles to the two opposed fiat faces of the block and a thin binding layer of cement covering said faces.

13. A building block comprlsmg a core composed of a compacted mass of corn stalk lengths arranged at right angles to and terminating in two op osed faces of the block, binding coverings or said faces, and remforcing tension members embedded 1n one of said coverings.

14. The method of making a. building block, comprising the com actmg of a mass of fibrous material in whlch the fibres are parallel, cutting across the fibres to produce a block having o posed at faces containing the ends of the res, and applying a binder to said faces.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specilication.

` ARMIN ELMENDORF. 

